Availability of Wisconsin emergency plans varies by county

GREEN BAY, Wis. — All of Wisconsin’s 72 counties have emergency plans to respond to everything from chemical leaks to weather emergencies.

But the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports some counties make it harder for residents to see their plans than others, and some charge fees while others don’t.

Reporters with Gannett Wisconsin Media requested emergency preparedness plans from county officials across the state in late January.

The goal was to see if these plans were available to the people they are designed to protect. The plans often contain information such as evacuation routes or information about warning systems. Some counties took weeks to provide the plans, while others had theirs available immediately online.

Some provided plans for free. But Columbia County estimated it would charge more than $647.